Paul Hosford: After nearly two years of inactivity the North's parties have much to fix

After two years of citing post-Brexit trading arrangements as a reason to stay out of Stormont, Saturday will merely be the beginning of the test for the DUP, writes Paul Hosford

With a plenary sitting in Stormont called for Saturday afternoon, the North will take its first steps towards a new era, one which for the first time will see a nationalist elected to the role of First Minister.

At 1pm on Saturday, after 24 months of inaction, Northern Irish MLAs will return to Stormont.

Nearly two years of political stasis ended this week when the DUP agreed new rules around imports and exports that will see the end of routine post-Brexit checks on goods shipped from Great Britain to final destinations in Northern Ireland, as well as a series of measures aimed at providing assurances around Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom.